LOS ANGELES — For the past several months, the Rams had themselves an elite special teams unit. They had punter Johnny Hekker, a four-time Pro Bowler. They had kicker Greg Zuerlein, who was on a record-setting scoring pace before a season-ending back injury.

And they had Pharoh Cooper.

Cooper was a revelation for the Rams this season as a returner, earning one of the team’s six All-Pro nods. After a forgettable rookie season, the South Carolina product racked up 932 yards and a touchdown on kickoff returns, and added another 399 yards on punt returns. The 5-foot-11, 207-pound was an X-factor, a player who could break open a game.

In a way, he did.

Cooper played a part in two crucial turnovers at the Coliseum, both of which led to early points for the Falcons in what turned out to be a season-ending 26-13 loss. No, those plays didn’t single-handedly doom the Rams, who managed to enter halftime facing only a three-point deficit.

But they certainly didn’t help either.

“Any time you lose the turnover battle,” Coach Sean McVay said, “you’re going to make it very hard on yourself.”

Saturday night’s wild-card matchup featured teams that led the league in scoring in 2016 and 2017, but it opened with four consecutive three-and-outs. That streak finally broke six minutes in, thanks to wayward punt.

Atlanta punter Matt Bosher sailed the ball just past midfield. But before it hit the Coliseum grass, it tipped off the foot of Rams safety Blake Countess, who would be credited with the muffed punt. From there, it ricocheted off Cooper’s arm, skittering to Los Angeles’ 17-yard line. Several players dove for the ball, but linebacker LaRoy Reynolds secured it.

The Falcons didn’t exactly capitalize, settling for a 29-yard field goal by Matt Bryant. But a lead was a lead, especially in a road playoff game.

And besides, Cooper would help them out again.

After Bryant bumped his team’s lead to 6-0 with a 51-yard field goal, Bosher kicked off, booting the ball to the 7-yard line. Cooper caught it and run upfield, cutting to his right and bouncing off a tackler. But after gaining 23 yards, he lost the ball.

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Rookie safety Damontae Kazee — a product of San Bernardino’s Cajon High — had swatted his right arm across Cooper’s chest. He didn’t land a direct hit on the ball, but he didn’t have to. Cooper lost his grip, and linebacker Kemal Ishmael secured possession. Atlanta had itself a 32-yard field.

The Falcons didn’t squander it this time. Quarterback Matt Ryan, who now has a sterling postseason passer rating of 102.4, completed four straight passes. Running back Devonta Freeman bulldozed into the end zone, a three-yard run that gave the Falcons a 13-0 lead.

No other NFL team this season had given away multiple special teams turnovers in the first half.

And only four NFL teams had fewer overall takeaways than Atlanta, with 16.

McVay was hesitant to blame Cooper after the game. The 22-year-old had earned his keep this season, replacing Tavon Austin on punt returns after the veteran receiver fumbled twice in a Week 5 loss to Seattle. He had jump-started the Rams in Jacksonville seven days later, opening the game with a 103-yard kickoff return touchdown. He also missed significant practice time this week with a shoulder injury.

“What a great season Pharoh had,” McVay said. “I know he wishes he could have a couple of those plays back. … Two plays certainly won’t define him. He’s done too many good things.”

Quarterback Jared Goff was similarly protective of his special teams unit: “They’ve been so good for us all year. They’ve won so many games for us.”

Jack Wang covers the Chargers, the latest NFL team to relocate to Los Angeles. He previously covered the Rams, and also spent four years on the UCLA beat, a strange period in which the Bruins' football program often outpaced their basketball team. He is a proud graduate of UC Berkeley, where he spent most of his time in The Daily Californian offices in Eshleman Hall — a building that did not become earthquake-safe until after his time on campus.